Soaring on the Wings of a Demon

Ronnie James Dio has rocked for a long, long time

It's a ubiquitous sign for the ages. Whether thrown in rapture or irony, the pinky-and-index-finger extended "devil horns" might mean something different to UT sports fans or Shakespearean scholars, but to fans of classic hard rock and heavy metal it means, quite simply, Ronnie James Dio.

Nobody has thrown the horns more unabashedly and consistently in his career than Dio, metal's biggest voice in its smallest (5'3") body. And now the truth can be told: The horns did not spring forth from the fiery pits of hell or a dark dragon's cave. They came from Dio's Italian grandmother.

"She used to flash that sign all the time. It was protection against the 'evil eye' as well as a way to give it," Dio says. "It was natural for me to do, and it's become a symbol of the bond between me and the audience. But I didn't invent it. Some caveman probably laid it on his buddy, Og!"

Money shot: Ronnie James Dio is through teasing -- now it's time for the payoff sign.

Details

Saturday, August 16, call 281-363-3300 for more information

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2025 Lake Robbins Drive

Dio also knows the power of the sign in concert. "Sometimes I tease the audience with it, but then when I do it, the place goes nuts," he laughs. "It's like 'Yes! The horns! That's what we came for! And here I thought it was the music..."

For fans of Ronnie James Dio throughout his three decades-plus career -- first with the boogie-rock band Elf to his high-profile frontman duties for Rainbow and Black Sabbath, to fronting the current band that bears his name -- it is the music as much as the man.

Both are enjoying quite a renaissance. Last year's Killing the Dragon drew praise from metal fans. This year has seen the concert DVD Evil or Divine and an excellent double-disc career-spanning Rhino anthology Stand Up and Shout! And finally, he's the subject of Tenacious D's "Dio," which admonishes the singer of "wildebeests and angels" to "pass the torch" because of his age.

"I knew right away it was obviously tongue in cheek, and I thought it was cool they did that," Dio says. The duo even later appeared in the video for Dio's "Push" single. "They're both huge rock fans, and Jack [Black] is the most intense guy I've ever met. I was flattered."

He was also surprised to find himself in the most recent "Hot" issue of Rolling Stone. "I'm always happy to be recognized, and we have such a wonderful fan base," he says. "The people who like this style of music have always been there, it's just that other forms came and took its place. Probably because it got redundant and boring." And though he never sees a return of metal's glory days of the mid-'70s to mid-'80s, that doesn't mean he likes the crop of nü-metal acts either.

"I respect their right to do it, but from a singer's perspective...it sucks," he offers. "And I'm sick and tired of being told how tough life is and how traumatic everything is and how hard it is being young. It's pretty damn hard being older, too!"

Even harder, it seems, for the man whom Dio replaced at the helm of Black Sabbath. Ozzy Osbourne is now a mumbling, semi-conscious reality sitcom star who shuffles around in his sweatpants scooping up dog shit and being dominated by his shrewish wife and spoiled-ass kids. This is what happened to the fucking Prince of fucking Darkness?

"Ozzy's legacy is now incredibly tarnished. I would be more concerned about the people I'm making music for. I thought he was supposed to portray himself better, but now they have him as some guy with an affliction," says Dio. "To see this happen...it's sad. But it's what he wants and there's money involved. So who am I to say? It's just sad, because he's one of the guys who invented heavy metal."

Ronnie James Dio himself could also take some credit for the birthing. After recording three records with Elf in the early '70s, Dio yearned for a harder sound. So when guitar wizard Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple to form Rainbow, he took Dio along, creating pivotal records and signature songs like "Man on the Silver Mountain" and "Long Live Rock and Roll."

As the '80s began, Dio had an even bigger challenge, stepping into the genre's 800-pound gorilla outfit when Ozzy's substance abuse got him booted from a sputtering Sabbath. Dio -- who writes his lyrics -- responded and the group resurged with Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules, both favorites among critics and fans. Dio brought an even darker, heavier sound to the mix, and his signature screech literally forced the title tracks and songs like "Neon Knights" down your throat.

Amazingly, Dio was then booted from Black Sabbath, and he's still not sure exactly why. "I don't understand where the tension came from. [Bassist] Geezer [Butler] was my best friend in the band. But you'd probably have to say that there were too many drugs going down at the time," he says. "And when success kicked in again, so did all the old vices."

Dio says that Butler and guitarist Tony Iommi later "apologized" to him and drummer Vinny Appice (who would also leave with Dio) during sessions for their 1984 reunion record Dehumanizer, but it clearly still rankles. "I don't know how much from the heart it was, but I wasn't angry, I was more hurt. It was a great time in my life and my favorite band to be in."